Chapter 7 — Don’t Lie To Me

Tessa’s POV

I made my way to the door slowly, buying myself seconds I didn’t have. Roman stood in a dark coat, his presence filling the narrow porch.

His eyes swept over me, unreadable, sharp and enough to strip me bare.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping my tone flat.

“We need to talk….now.”

“Yeah? About what?” I folded my arms. “I thought we agreed that until the baby—“

“I noticed your calls.” He blurted out.

I blinked, stunned by his sudden change in tone. “It was a mistake.”

“Twice is too much for a mistake.”

His gaze dropped to my arm — the one I kept folded against my body.

“What’s the problem?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me.” His voice cut through the air like steel.

He pulled me close, pulling up my sleeves, his eyes darkening at the bruises.

“Who did this to you?” He asked.

“It’s nothing.” I shrugged.

“Would you stop with the damn lies?” He snapped at me. “Just stop it.”

“What do you want, Roman?” I pulled away from him.

He took in a deep breath.

“I paid the hospital a little visit. I know about your sick father… and the altercation with your boyfriend you didn’t think was worth mentioning. Now, I’m giving you a chance to tell me what’s going on.”

I shifted my weight, keeping my eyes on the ground.

“You will look at me when I am talking to you, Tessa,” Roman said sharply.

The command made my spine stiffen. I forced myself to meet his eyes.

“Nothing is going on,” I sniffed. “And I appreciate your concern, but it’s not your business.”

His jaw tightened. “Not my business? You’re carrying my child. Or should I start wondering if it’s even mine?”

His words landed harder than I expected. “How dare you?”

Roman scoffed. “You call me when I ask you not to. You hide things. You let me hear about you from strangers, what the hell am I supposed to think?” He barked.

“I know you don’t know me, but the least you can do is trust me,” I shot back. “But clearly, that’s asking too much.”

He took a step forward, closing the distance. “Trust goes both ways, Tessa. You don’t want to talk? Fine. But don’t expect me to stand by while you—”

“While I what? Keep certain things to myself?” My voice rose, heat flooding my cheeks. “You don’t own me, Roman. And you sure as hell don’t get to control me.”

“Don’t raise your voice when you’re talking to me.” Roman scolded me.

“But you’re raising your voice at me!” I shouted back.

For a second, neither of us moved.

“Yes I did have a boyfriend,” I said finally.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about that but it’s hard to explain that to you without you thinking I’m a lying whore.”

“You’re damn right.” He said, his voice low and cutting. “Because this isn’t something you just drop in my lap and expect me to accept. Not without answers. Not when you’re—.”

“Screw you, Roman.” I cut in.

“Tessa—“

“I’m done with this discussion. Have a good night.” I stomped my feet, as I stepped back into the house, slamming the door.

My breath was loud and shaky as I stood, back against the wall.

Gina’s brows lifted. “Who was that?”

“My baby’s father.” I let out a frustrated sigh.

Her eyes widened. “And what did he want?”

“To remind me who he is,” I muttered, walking past her without another word.

**********

Roman’s POV

My jaw tightened as I watched Tessa step into the house. The bruise on her arm burned into my memory. Whoever had touched her… would regret it.

She was carrying what was mine. So who the hell would dare lay a finger on her?

And how dare she walk away from me?

I didn’t know her well enough yet, but I knew she wasn’t weak. She was the kind of woman who’d bite down on her pain before she let you see her bleed. That only made me want to rip the truth out of her more.

My boots crunched against the gravel, every step away from her door feeling wrong. My hands itched to go back, pound on it, and make her talk.

But she’d slammed a wall between us tonight.

Fine.

But walls could be broken.

I turned away and yanked open my car door. I slid into the seat, the slam echoing through the night.

“She’s hiding something,” I said flatly.

Davin’s eyes flicked toward me. “What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know,” I bit out, “but it seems like everything she says is a damn lie.”

“So what do you want to do now?”

I didn’t hesitate. “Find out everything about her. I don’t care how deep you have to dig. Her name, background, who she talks to, and when she breathes. I want to know everything.”

Davin gave a short nod. “Consider it done,

Sir.”

“Good.” I breathed. “Now get me the hell out of this place.”

**********

Roman’s POV

Morning came and I’d been pacing for ten damn minutes.

The coffee on the table was untouched, the laptop open but useless. I couldn’t focus on a single damn thing because every time my mind cleared, Tessa’s face slipped back in.

That bruise. That look in her eyes when she lied to me like it cost her nothing.

I hated that it got to me.

She was hiding something and I wasn’t the type to wait around and hope the truth landed on my doorstep.

The door opened and Davin stepped in, a blue file in one hand, a small device in the other.

“I hope you’ve got something for me,” I said, my voice irritated by the long wait.

“I’ve got everything.”

“So. what is it? Tell me everything.” I said impatiently.

“Here’s what I got.” Davin started. “Tessa Quinn. Age twenty-four. College dropout.”

I raised my brows. Dropout?

“Engaged once.” He continued. “And, boss… you’re gonna want to see this.”

I took the file, flipping through pages—birth records, addresses, a hospital report.

“Any info on the sperm mix-up?”

I asked, as I skimmed through the file, but Davin’s voice cut in, sharper now.

“Forget the paperwork for a second. Watch this.”

He slid the small device into the laptop on my desk, the screen flickering to life. The security footage was grainy and muted. It was a hospital corridor.

I saw Tessa.

Being dragged by the arm, her face pale.

And then, a conflict in a room.

A man closing in on her, causing havoc, his jaw tight, him yelling words I couldn’t hear but didn’t need to before I could understand what he was saying.

The man turned just in time for the camera to catch his face and Davin paused the video.

My eyes widened in shock. I sat up straight, my eyes drying out from not blinking.

It looked like—

And just like that, my blood turned to ice. My heart dropped and my words failed me.

Grayson.

Grayson fucking Thorne.

My breath stopped.

I picked up the file, flipping through it with a speed faster than lightning until I stopped at the end.

It was him — a picture of him and Tessa wrapped up in each other's arms.

“What the fuck is this?” I muttered.

The name in the file was one thing, but seeing him there, on that camera — towering over her, grabbing her, was something else entirely.

I leaned forward, every muscle in my body coiled tight.

“That’s Grayson,” I said to Davin. Unable to believe my own words.

“That’s my fucking brother,” I whispered.

“And if this is true, then this is a fucking mess.”